"You're going to fall. You're going to fall a lot. But you're also going to get back up and learn to fly."

Dear Rebecca,

I bet right now you're thinking life is pretty rough, right? Well, I hate to tell you this, but it's only going to get harder from here. It'll get a whole lot hard, but it will also be more rewarding than you could imagine. Enjoy your senior year. Enjoy your friends because you won't all be together in the same room again. Enjoy the simple things like wearing a uniform, the pizza at the lunch window, having a set schedule, and not having to pay taxes. There's going to be a lot of heartaches, a lot of heartbreak, but these next four years are going to be some of the best times of your life. Please don't give up hope just yet. God has so many things planned for you

You're going to struggle to graduate but I promise that you're going to make it. I promise you're going to prove everyone who doubted you wrong. You remember them telling you that you couldn't do it? Well, guess what? They were oh so wrong. In fact, just you wait, you're going to keep proving them wrong for a long time to come. You're going to fall. You're going to fall a lot. But you're also going to get back up and learn to fly.

You're going to go to a small college in Washington, and you're going to feel like you hate it. But please cherish every moment there, because you're going to want to go back there every day after you leave. You're going to meet some great people there, eat great food, and get stuck in the snow. I know it's a long way from home, but please enjoy your time there. You'll look back on it and realize those times were some of the best times of your life. The last thing I'll tell you about this year is to hold onto Mimi's hand a little longer, listen to her stories a little harder, and eat everything she cooks for you without so many complaints. You won't get these times forever and you'll regret not saying a proper goodbye. Chin up, dear, you're going to make it through even the hardest of nights.

You're going to be accepted to the school of your dreams, but I'll warn you now that you're going to find out it's not all it was cracked up to be. You're going to struggle, change majors, fail a class you thought would be easy, and you're going to hate living in San Fransisco. Please don't give up on yourself during those long nights spent up studying in your tiny studio apartment. Also, when you decide to move home and commute to San Fransisco, drink lots of coffee and keep the window cracked. You're going to have a close call in the early morning traffic on your way there. Your guardian angels will be working over time!

In the spring of 2016, you're going to get engaged. There will be love in the air, wedding bells chiming in the distance future, and everything will seem to be falling into the right place. You'll have your whole life planned out. But don't get ahead of yourself love. You're going to get your heart broken and the life you had all planned out is going to be turned upside down in front of your eyes. But listen to me when I say this, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH ALL OF IT. Can't you see how strong you really are? This will make you stronger. It may feel like your heart was ripped from your chest for weeks, it's going to feel like you're alone in this, it may feel like you have to start from the beginning, and you may feel like there's no light at the end of the tunnel. But I promise you that there is. There's always going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

There will always be a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light will never come from another person. The light at the end of the tunnel will come in different forms. The light at the end of the tunnel will be a new puppy, who will quickly become the new love of your life! The light will be the new outlook you have on life. It will be the passion you'll find and the realization that you don't have to live for someone else anymore. You'll realize this at the same time as you realize you are smart enough to be a doctor. That's right. You, Rebecca Mabee, are going to become a doctor. Crazy, right? That new light in your life will come in all sorts of different forms, so don't look for that light to be another person. You'll learn every time that your light will come from within you.

There are a few last pieces of advice I'd like to give you; 1.) Take up weightlifting as soon as you can. You're going to love it and need it. 2.) Write more. Writing is going to help you get through the hardest parts of your life. 3.) Never regret falling in love. It'll teach you things you'd never learn if you hadn't. 4.) Pick better graduation shoes. You're going to almost fall walking down the isle!

Remember to always love yourself and to put yourself first sometimes.

Sincerly,

Your future self.